Navonim - The Ramblings of Garnel Ironheart

Navonim - The Ramblings of Garnel Ironheart
BUY THIS BOOK! Now available on Amazon! IT WILL MAKE YOUR LIFE COMPLETE!

Thursday 16 July 2009

They're Really Zionists

Not to belabour the point but I have to note the following about the ongoing riots in Yerushalayim.
Let's get the background facts together first: The Eidah Chareidit does not recognize the State of Israel. It refuses to cooperate and insists that its members live as separately as possible from it. The reason is because according to their understanding of Torah, Jews are foribddden to have sovereignty in the Land of Israel until God personally says it's okay, and even then they might disagree if He's not wearing the right colour of shtreiml.
Now, one would presume that they would feel this way regardless of who the governmental authorities are, Jewish or non-Jewish. One would assume that their conviction that they have the only true understanding of Torah would not change depending on the nationality or religion of the man running the government in the area.
So why do I have the funny feeling that if history had been different and, chalilah, it was the Arabs running the country and the city that there would never, ever be a Chareidi riot, no matter what the provocation from the authorities?
If it was an Arab social worker and policeman that had taken the starving child into custody, do you think there would be a peep from the Neturei Karta? Would the Eida be burning garbage cans and shouting in the face of Arab policemen?
Somehow I doubt it.
And this is, in truth, a good thing. The reason the Chareidim would not protest Arab provocations is because part of the Eida Charedit philosophy is to knuckle under. We are to accept our lowly spot in exile and never resist the gentiles' attacks on us. (That, and they know the Arabs would mow them down at the first shout of "Gevalt!")
If they truly saw the State of Israel as a secular abomination, and the Jews running it as false members of the tribe who have no connection to them, would they not be compelled to act the same? It seems that since they know they are facing their fellow Jews, and that they feel some kind of connection to them in that these fellow Jews have an obligation to observe halacha as they understand it, they are really conferring a kind of legitimacy on the State of Israel, the only State in the world in which they would dare behave like this and in which this kind of behaviour would be tolerated.
(Plus they know the Israeli police won't mow them down)
Perhaps we should start pointing out to them that despite their best attempts, they have become Zionists. Talk about the hand of God, eh?

9 comments:

E-Man said...

Right you are Garnel. They must have some type of Zionist blood in them. Otherwise, why would they care, they should take the injustice like their forefathers.

David said...

I'm curious; does their professed antagonism towards the Zionist Entity make them refuse to accept welfare checks, water, electric power, sanitation, etc.?

E-Man said...

I believe they do not vote or accept money, at least that is the eida's official position. However, they do use water, electricity and so on.

Mighty Garnel Ironheart said...

Actually there was an article in the local paper this morning that noted that while they don't recognize the State they are its largest welfare recipient group.
It's not just water, electricity, and so on, either. The army, the police, they obviously use social workers and health services as this latest riot shows.
Unfortunately, the Amish are a lot more honest than they are.

David said...

"...while they don't recognize the State they are its largest welfare recipient group."

Gee, how do they address their requests for welfare assistance? If they don't recognize the state, who do they think is sending them the money?

E-Man said...

That is so interesting, because when I was in Israel the newspaper, I forgot which one, maybe the j-post, but I doubt it, had a section describing what the eidah charedit is. It said they do not recognize the state, nor do they vote or accept money from the state.

Anyway, I am sure there are some in the group that do, but whatever, they are going against the groups "halacha."

Garnel Ironheart said...

The Eida Charedit does not receive money like the Rabbanut does. Individuals still receive services and basic payments.
Remember that for a lot of them it's not a direct welfare cheque that they get. Rather the payments the governments make to the yeshivos in general get filtered through to them. So they get the cheque but it has a different name on it than State of Israel.

OTD said...

>the Amish are a lot more honest than they are.

Who's talking?

Manya Shochet said...

"..the Amish are more honest"

And they have jobs. As the sages havi implied, it's a lot easier to be honest when one has a trade.